REVIEW: ‘Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War’ Episode 22 — “Marching Out the Zombies”

The return of Ichigo Kurosaki to the Soul Society following his training at the Soul King Palace set the stage for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 22, titled “Marching Out the Zombies,” with anticipation at an all-time high. Questions abound regarding Uryū Ishida’s enigmatic alliance with the Quincies and King Yhwach’s true motives, especially his intent to infiltrate the Soul King’s Palace. As Ichigo and his friends find themselves seemingly powerless against the Quincies despite their extensive training, the future remains uncertain. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change much after Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 22.

“Marching Out the Zombies,” opens with Ichigo’s anguished cries for Ishida, immediately rekindling the somber tone left by the previous episode. Even after a two-week hiatus, the sense of unease still lingers. Following King Yhwach’s departure with Ishida, Ichigo and his companions hold onto the hope that Ishida’s actions were driven by a significant purpose, mirroring the audience’s uncertainty about his motives.

Flashbacks serve as poignant reminders of the deep history between Ishida and the Soul Reapers, intensifying the emotional weight of his apparent betrayal. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Ishida’s actions, Ichigo, Sado, and Inoue are determined to find answers, and the Royal Palace is their destination. However, Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 22 frustratingly leaves viewers waiting for those answers.

After spending so much time building up the other Soul Repears in the second cour, it was exciting to see the core of the franchise all back together on screen again. It is the kind of nostalgia that viewers crave and leaves other attempts at capturing that sentiment feeling shallow. The most compelling moments in Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 22 are when Ichigo and friends are huddled together discussing the next steps of their journey but as soon the anticipation for the next leg of the journey is upon us, the plot takes a detour.

Disappointingly, the episode steers away from the long-awaited showdown between Ichigo and Ishida, opting instead to focus on Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s rare opportunity for battle with Stern Ritter Z, Giselle Gewelle. While Kurotsuchi’s eccentric genius and tactics are intriguing, the sequences fail to match the intensity of the anticipated confrontation between the two former friends.

The episode’s attempts to generate interest through nostalgic references to past characters ultimately leave it feeling like a way to fill time, bridging the gap until the plot unravels how Ichigo and his group will gain access to the Royal Palace. Most disappointingly, by the end of the episode, it’s implied that viewers will have to endure yet another episode of less compelling battles between lower-ranked captains and Stern Ritters.

Having skipped a week, it’s disheartening to feel that the plot has regressed after Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Episode 22. “The Headless Star” had set up more compelling matchups that could have filled the time leading to the inevitable showdown between Ichigo and Ishida.

Instead, viewers are treated to surprises in the form of new abilities for characters who hold less significance in the grand narrative. In a landscape filled with shonen anime options, Bleach‘s pacing, reminiscent of decades past, risks alienating its adult audience, who are primarily invested in the conflict between the series’ titular characters. This episode seems to stretch the need for character development and side battles one week too far, leaving fans eager for the main narrative to resume.

Bleach: Thousand Year Blood-War Episode 22 is streaming now exclusively on Hulu.